Skip navigation

Send this site to a friend

Arts Commission News

"Mississippi Arts Hour" Celebrates Five Years on

the Air

DATE:        June 22 , 2011  

CONTACT:    Susan Dobbs, Public Relations Director

601/359-6031, sdobbs@arts.state.ms.us

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

Jackson, Miss.— This year the Mississippi Arts Commission (MAC) is celebrating the fifth anniversary of “Mississippi Arts Hour,” MAC’s weekly radio show featuring in-depth discussions with creative Mississippians that are broadcast statewide on Mississippi Public Broadcasting.  

The “Arts Hour,” which was started in January 2006 by MAC Executive Director Malcolm White shortly after his arrival at the agency, features long-form interviews with Mississippi-based visual artists, writers, musicians, as well as individuals who work to present or preserve the state’s artistic legacy.  

“When I started my job with MAC, I realized that there is a wealth of talent right here in our own backyard,” stated White. “What better way to showcase this wealth than by creating a weekly radio show focusing on the arts in Mississippi?  We are thrilled that the show has five years of creative dialogue under its belt and that we are fortunate enough to have this outstanding partnership with Mississippi Public Broadcasting.” 

The “Arts Hour” began as a live show on WLEZ, a low-power FM station near downtown Jackson. White, along with MAC’s Mary Margaret Miller, Diane Williams, and Larry Morrisey, invited local artists and musicians to come into the studio for interviews. The show focuses on providing an unpretentious but informative introduction to the guest and their work. The show also regularly features both classic and current music by Mississippi musicians. 

Word of the show spread across the state. In 2008, Mississippi Public Broadcasting invited MAC to move the “Arts Hour” to their statewide network.  With this move, the show began taping in advance, allowing MAC to bring in guests from throughout Mississippi.  

Since the show’s beginnings, the MAC staff has tried to showcase the wide range of creative expression found across the state. In addition to interviews with musicians and writers, the “Arts Hour” has also featured discussions with chefs, gardeners, and brew masters. Some of those who have been on the show include visual artist Bill Dunlap, chef Martha Foose, and blues legend Bobby Rush.  

MAC extends access to the show by posting mp3s of each episode on the MAC website. The “Arts Hour” is also available as a podcast, allowing listeners to have the show automatically delivered to their computer each week. Past shows can be downloaded from the MAC website at www.arts.state.ms.us/podcast. Listeners can also subscribe to the show’s podcast through Apple Computer’s iTunes program.   

The “Mississippi Arts Hour” is heard every Sunday afternoon from 3:00-4:00 pm on Mississippi Public Broadcasting’s Think Radio (FM signal) network and on Saturdays from 11:00am - 12:00 pm on MPB Music Radio (HD signal). The show was recently picked up for airing on Sundays at 12noon by WUSM FM-88.5 in Hattiesburg.   

The Mississippi Arts Commission is a state agency, funded by the Mississippi Legislature, the National Endowment for the Arts, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi Foundation, the Riley Foundation, the Phil Hardin Foundation, the Mississippi Endowment for the Arts at the Community Foundation of Greater Jackson and other private sources.  MAC is the official grants-making and service agency for the arts in Mississippi. The agency serves as an active supporter and promoter of arts in community life and in arts education.

###

« Back to headlines